1 Introduction to Windows Movie Maker 3 in the University of Delaware Morris Library 1. Introduction This paper tutorial is designed as a basic introduction to Microsoft’s digital video editing program, Windows Movie Maker 3 (MM3). To begin, this tutorial will provide a general overview of MM3 functions, settings, and tools. Next, with the aid of graphics from the MM3 interface, a brief explanation of how to capture or import video, pictures, audio or music into the program will be defined. In addition, you will also learn how to edit your movie, add effects and transitions, title and credits, or how to add narration. 2. Overview The process of creating a movie or a slide‐ show in MM3 consists of importing media such as video, pictures, audio, or music into the program and then manipulating these same elements to create a specific product. The interface is designed to provide visual access and management of imported elements in the collections pane. Items from this area can be dragged into either a storyboard or timeline window and then edited. From the monitor window, changes or additions made to the project can be sampled through playback. Once the desired effect has been achieved the combined project can be saved to the computer, to a CD, or sent to e‐mail, to the web, or a DV (digital video) camera. At the right is an image of the MM3 interface—components of this interface are detailed below. 3. Interface Menus The menus in MM3 give access to important program functions. Below is a graphic of the main menu header as well as six dropdown menus for file, edit, view, tools, clip, and play. In MM3, access to most program functions can be reached through more than one location. 2 Timeline/Storyboard In MM3, the Storyboard and Timeline windows are utilized for controlling placement of media. From the Timeline window, all of a project’s elements can be viewed in tracks along a linear (from left to right) layout. By selecting the plus (+) or minus (‐) magnifying glass at the upper left of the Timeline window, a project can be viewed from its extended length in minute increments or narrowly focused down to tenths of a second. The project can be played by clicking on play/stop buttons. To narrate a timeline, click on the microphone icon and to adjust volume, click on Audio Levels. To toggle between views, click the dropdown menu and select either “Storyboard” or “Timeline.” Timeline Storyboard Movie Tasks, Collections, and Monitor On the next page is a graphic of MM3’s interface including the Tasks pane, the Collection pane, and Monitor window. First, the Tasks pane provides an access point to capture video, edit your movie, and save your movie, as well as providing movie making tips. The links in the pane are fairly intuitive and follow, from top to bottom, the basic outline of the movie making process from start to finish. Next, the Collections pane provides a thumbnail view of videos, pictures, and even music that have been imported into MM3 for use on your movie project. From the Collections pane you select and drag clips into the storyboard or timeline to create a movie. As will be discussed later, clips can be manipulated to create a desired effect. Last, in the Monitor window you can test or preview your movie. From the function buttons at the bottom of the window (also along the top of the timeline/storyboard) you can play, stop, forward, or rewind your movie (or manually use the seek slider), or split a clip (Figure 1). 3 Tasks Collections Monitor Figure 1 4. Set‐up Before beginning any project, it is important to establish and set a number of program options, as well as save your project. ! Step 1: Select the Tools menu from the menu bar at the top of the interface. ! Step 2: Select Options at the bottom of the menu. ! Step 3: From the Options window, select the General tab (Figure 2) and modify options accordingly. In the Save AutoRecover box you are given the option of having your project backed‐up anywhere between one and sixty minutes. The program defaults to ten minutes; you may change this according to preference. Note: As a video editing program can consume a lot of computer processing power and is susceptible to “crashing,” it is always important to manually save your project often. ! Step 4: From the Options window, select the Advanced tab (Figure 3) and modify options accordingly. The picture duration and transition duration settings specify how long (in seconds) a picture or transition will last. This setting will be applied to the entire project. The editing section of this tutorial will show how to manipulate these settings on an individual frame‐by‐frame basis. ! Step 5: From the same advanced tab, the video properties settings default to NTSC format and a 4:3 aspect ratio. If you have video recorded as widescreen, change this setting to 16:9. ! Step 6: Now, before beginning, from the menu bar select File and Save Project. Simply give your project a file name, and then select save. Note: If you are unsure about what settings to select, simply use the MM3 default settings. 4 Figure 2 Figure 3 5. Import To begin building your movie or slideshow project you must first import your video, picture, audio or music files into MM3. To do so, follow the steps below: To Import Video, Photographs, Audio or Music ! Step 1: From the Tasks pane, under Import, select the appropriate link to import video from a camera, video from the computer, photographs, audio or music into MM3 (Figure 4). Note: MM3 will allow you to import the following file formats: ‐ Audio files: .aif, .aifc, .aiff .asf, .au, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .snd, .wav and .wma ‐ Picture files: .bmp, .dib, .emf, .gif, .jfif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, .tiff, and .wmf ‐Video files: .asf, .avi, .m1v, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2, .wm, and .wmv Figure 4 ! Step 2: You are now ready to begin the creation of your project. 5 Import: From digital video camera ! Step 1: To capture video from an external device you must first attach the device to the computer via a FireWire cable. ! Step 2: From the Tasks pane under Import, select From digital video camera, then select Capture from video device. ! Step 3: On the Capture Video File window, enter the name for your captured video, select the place to save your captured video and click Next. ! Step 4: From the Video Settings window, select Digital device format (DV‐AVI) for uncompressed capture (or choose Best quality for compressed capture) and then click Next. Note: Uncompressed capture will provide the highest quality capture of your video, but will also consume a large amount of file space. By selecting different file options, the Video Settings window will display the setting details and the video file size for that option. You must take into consideration the quality of video you want and file storage space available to you. ! Step 5: From the Capture Video window you can choose to have MM3 turn your movie into video clips, mute speakers, or set a capture time limit. If you wish, you may also create clips after the video has been captured by right clicking on the video icon in the Collections pane and selecting Create clips, MM3 will randomly separate the video into segments. ! Step 6: At the Capture Video window, click Start Capture and press play on your device and the program will begin capturing your video. ! Step 7: When completed select Stop capture and Finish. Your captured video will be automatically inserted into the Collections pane. 6. Edit Once you have imported video, music, or photographs into your collections, these items can be dragged from the Collections pane into either the Storyboard or Timeline to begin the creation of your project. Items can be adjusted or moved anywhere in the Timeline or storyboard accordingly. After you have positioned these elements where you want them you can use MM3’s edit functions to manipulate your project. Split One of the most useful functions in MM3 is the option of splitting a clip, either to adjust for effects or to remove undesirable elements. To split a clip, follow these steps: ! Step 1: First, in the Timeline, move the green vertical play head marker over the desired location to split (Figure 5). ! Step 2: From the Clip menu at the top of the interface, select Split and the clip will become two separate pieces (Figure 6). You can also split a clip in the Monitor by selecting the Split icon at the lower right of the window. ! Step 3: If you desire to delete one of the new portions, click on that portion (highlighted in white) and either right click and select delete or press delete on the keyboard. 6 Figure 5 Figure 6 Trim The Trim function serves as a manual length editing tool. In the timeline window, you can manipulate the length (duration) of images, videos, audio or music. Trim works to primarily reduce the length of videos, audio or music, but for images, trim can also be used to extend or increase duration. ! Step 1: Toggle to the Timeline window. ! Step 2: Select the image, video, audio or music clip that you desire to manipulate. ! Step 3: Place the arrowhead over the right end of the clip and a double red arrowhead will appear. Click and drag to trim the clip. Undo/Redo and Delete MM3 gives you the option of undoing and deleting actions.